Friday, September 15, 2006

A MODERN VEGAN BLT SANDWICH: HEAVEN!

See links to Variations and Updates of this recipe in the recipe below (versions made with hemp milk and oil; with the Vegg egg yolk replacer; and one with with no extracted oil).

First, I have to share this photo of our two young cats, Ringo and Tina, taken by my husband, Brian Grogan. (BTW: their "cat window" was open at the time, but they insisted they wanted to come in through the door!)

One of my "5 things that everyone should eat at least once before they die" from this entry was "a sandwich made with homemade white bread, vegan mayonnaise, a ripe tomato still warm from the garden (it HAS to be freshly-picked from a garden and NOT the hothouse variety), and a little salt".

We are currently inundated with both red and yellow tomatoes, one of the few items that we (non-gardeners that we are!) cultivate every year. We savor as many sweet, juicy tomato sandwiches as we can before that sad day when our tomatoes are all used up, because we only eat tomato sandwiches with our own tomatoes, purists that we are! No store-bought tomato is ever as good as ours, and a tomato sandwich is basically about the tomatoes, so we just don't bother the rest of the year! Makes us savor them even more.

Tomato sandwiches are very individual. I have mine as described above, sometimes on toasted bread and sometimes not; sometimes with lettuce and veggie bacon or soy bacon bits (stuck to the mayonnaise) (making it a BLT), sometimes not.

My husband adds pepper-- I don't. And he NEVER uses lettuce. I like more mayonnaise than he does, too-- LOTS of it. Since I don't want to ingest too much fat on my sandwich, I make my own low-fat vegan mayonnaise, recipe below (with miso and chili/garlic flax oil variations). To me, it tastes very like real mayonnaise.

This morning I had a toasted vegan BLT for breakfast (why not?), with, I swear, the sweetest tomato I have ever eaten! I used Italian bread and Yves Veggie Bacon (you could use LightLife Smart Bacon instead, or use organic soy bacon bits such asFrontier Bac'Uns). I didn't have any lettuce, so I used a modern touch-- organic baby greens mix. It was very satisfying. UPDATE: Try my homemade Tofu "Bacon".

What's your favorite way of making a tomato sandwich?

NOW, THE MAYONNAISE....

In the recipe below, right after you blend it, the mixture will be pourable, but....

...after the mayonnaise has set in the refrigerator for several hours, it should look like this. Then you whisk it in the jar to get the familiar creamy texture.

This is a revised version of the recipe that appears in several of my cookbooks. For those who are allergic to soy, do not like tofu mayonnaise, or the commercial "light" mayos (most are not vegan, anyway), here is a delicious (and inexpensive) solution! Four Hellman's fans of may acquaintance loved this (and were surprised that they did!).It contains a small amount of oil, just enough for good flavor and mouthfeel. It’s smooth and creamy, and a little tangy, but not too much.
**BRIGHT IDEA-- This mayonnaise, with the addition of herbs, garlic, etc., can be used as a savory vegetable and toast topping.Note: If you leave out the agar in the basic recipe, this makes a good base for cold savory sauces.

1.)Place the Mix A ingredients into your blender jar or food processor bowl and set aside. NOTE: If you have no food processor or blender, you can use a 1 qt. deep bowl or pitcher and a hand/immersion blender.

2.) In a small saucepan or microwave-proof bowl, mix together the water and agar from Mix B, and let sit for a few of minutes. Add the cornstarch and whisk well. If making in the pot on the stovetop, stir constantly over high heat until thick and translucent-- not white. Microwave option: Use the microwave-proof bowl for the mixture, and microwave on HI 30 seconds. Whisk. Repeat this about three times, or until thick and translucent. (The microwave works well with cornstarch mixtures.) Tip: If you don't cook this thoroughly (and "translucent" is the key word), the mayo won't thicken properly.

Tip #2: Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot or bowl with the whisk, so that no cornstarch gets left at the bottom.

XANTHAN OPTION: If you are going to add the xanthan (or guar) gum, add it to the Mixture A in the blender JUST before you add Mixture B, NOT with it. Add it to the blended mixture, blend briefly and then proceed to the next step, but work quickly.

3.) Scrape the cooked Mix B into the blender or food processor or container you are using with a hand/immersion blender (using a spatula so that you get as much of it as you can out of the bowl or pot) containing Mix A. Blend until the mixture is very white and frothy and emulsified (you can't see any oil globules). (Tip: This mayo doesn’t get thick as you blend it, like regular mayonnaise or soy mayonnaise made with lots of oil, so don’t blend it and blend it, thinking it will thicken as it blends— it won’t!! It will thicken in a few hours in the refrigerator.)

4.) Pour into a clean pint jar, cover and refrigerate for several hours, until it is set. It should be firm enough to stand a knife up in.

Keep refrigerated. Will keep for about 2 weeks.

Nutrition facts were (using Living Cookbook software) calculated using my homemade soymilk and 1/4 cup olive oil. I calculated it using various kinds of nondairy milk and the nutrition facts are in this range no matter what you use (except for regular coconut milk, which has more fat in it).21 calories a tablespoon is pretty darn good, considering regular mayonnaise (even vegan) contains about 100 calories per tablespoon!

Use 1 teaspoon mustard powder, and add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon organic sugar or agave nectar to the recipe (sugar levels in this type of recipe vary, so start with this and then let your taste dictate).

“SECRET BURGER SAUCE”: Mix to taste, Veggiennaise (already set and chilled),
ketchup, and pickle relish; or you could use Veggiennaise, ketchup and
mustard, or Veggienaise and a ketchup-style chili sauce.

OTHER MAYONNAISE VARIATIONS:

You can also make tasty sandwich spreads by blending half vegan mayonnaise (blended but not set), and half grainy gourmet or creamy Dijon mustard (for a "Dijonnaise"), OR, for serious miso fans, light soy or chickpea miso.

Aioli: To make a delicious garlic dip for cold, steamed vegetables and artichokes, omit the dry mustard and add 4-6 peeled raw cloves of garlic while blending. This also makes a good spread for making garlic toast.Tartar Sauce: Use dill pickle brine instead of plain vinegar. To the blended, but not set, mayonnaise, add 3/4 c. minced raw onion and 3/4 c. minced dill pickle. If you have no pickles, use chopped cucumber with dillweed and white wine vinegar to taste.Russian Dressing:
This dressing is a traditional addition to many deli sandwiches. To the blended but not set mayonnaise, add 2 T. prepared horseradish, 2 tsp. vegetarian worcestershire sauce, 1/2 c. ketchup-style chile sauce, and 2 tsp. grated onion.

45 comments:

I thank you in advance for this recipe ! I will make it tomorrow but I'm sure it will be terrific just by looking at the ingredients.I have tried making so many recipes for homemade vegan mayo but had to stick with Vegenaise. How wonderful to have a lower fat version and economical too !

Iris...you can't use the mixture right away-- it has to set in the fridge for several hours and will be very thick. I thought I had written the recipe clearly enough, but thanks for the heads-up. I rewrote the recipe and added more pictures so that readers will know what to expect. (I also added a Miso Mayo variation that I made this morning using chili/garlic flax oil instead of olive oil.)

Bryanna, are you on the payroll of an agar company?(Joking) That looks like a good mayo. I also like open faced tomato on a "cream" cheez spread (your tofu or J. Stepaniak's almond cheezes are good). Also from Joanne: tahini, tomato and dill pickle slices. Oh yum! Salt and pepper on all the above.

As well as a 'mayo' sauce I had in a restaurant this past weekend in Athens, Georgia. They had a vegan basil jalapeno sauce...I inquired and found out they used commercial Vegannaise and blended it with a bunch of fresh basil and 6 jalapenos. Maybe to a whole jar? It was fantastic on a falafel "burger" with hummus, lettuce and tomato.

I love your blog! So insipring! You are very creative indeed. That said I have a question, do you think it would be possible to create a vegan bridge salad? I'm honestly not to talented in the kitchen so I thought I would ask someone more talented and creative than I!

just because i know there are so many out there. This was my favorite as a child and im not looking forward to everyone eating it at thanksgiving and christmas and rubbing it in my face that i cant have any lol

Okay, now I know why I haven't heard of this, Butterfly! My father would not allow a jelled salad on his table! Anyway, if you live in the USA, you should have no trouble "veganizing" this.

1 package lime gelatin powderVEGAN ALTERNATIVE: Lime-flavored kosher jel mix...you can get this here:http://www.kosherclub.com/item.asp?itemid=7479and here:http://www.kosher.com/Products.cfm?ProductGroupList=192&Sub_ID=47&Category_ID=1(they have two brands)(NOTE: If you live in a big city that has kosher stores, you can probably buy these brands off the shelf)

3 ounces cream cheese -- softenedVEGAN ALTERNATIVE: Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese (they have a non-hydrgenated version); you can read about it here;http://tofutti.com/nh.0.aspbut it's widely available in health food stores.

Celeste, if you are going to make a vegan version of the hot mayo you decribed, make it while the veggiennaise is liquid. if you wait until it firms up and then whip in the other ingredients it will be all soupy.

Butterfly, viewing your profile, I see that you live in Alberta. So, you won't want to order from the US, probably, though you could. You should be able to find Tofutti better than Cream Cheese in a big health food store in Edmonton. Otherwise, if you email me, I can send you a recipe for a homemade variety that is quite good.

Instead of Soy Whip, you could use my recipe for almond creme from:http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/2006/06/traditional-but-vegan-strawberry.htmlMaybe use 3/4 tsp. agar powder to make it a bit firmer.

What a great blog you have! I'm new to the vegetarian lifestyle, and am slowly easing myself into it. I LOVE BLT's with Miracle Whip. Do you have any recipie or added ingredient that would make this more like a sweet and zingy "miracle whip"?

Thanks, Dobber! Miracle Whip has a cooked starch base, in addition to oil and egg yolks, so you can easily make this mayo into more of a Miracle Whip salad dressing by using 1 tsp. mustard powder instead of the 3/4 tsp. I call for, and adding 1 Tbs. lemon juice, and 1 Tbs. of sugar to my mayo recipe. I have seen recipes using far more sugar, but I am revising from a recipe on cdkitchen. I guess you could just add sugar to your own taste.

I am not a Vegan, I am a Caterer trying to do a good deed. I am making a Chicken Salad Platter for several Church Men as a donation to Hospice. The gentlemen that set everything up is a Vegan. He told me to make the dish for the others and he would brown bag it. Well, I've been catering for nearly 40 years and never would I let someone eat out of a bag. I went to Trader Joes and bought Chicken Less chicken and Vegan Cream Cheese. Then I went to the Home Economist and bought the Egg Replacer. The only other thing I needed was Vegan Mayo. It was quite costly so I started surfing the internet. I found several recipes and none of them worked. I was determined to do this so I got up at 6am and found Bryanna's recipe and IT WORKED! It tastes great, looks great and yields a nice volume. Oh, the egg replacer and cream cheese were for the Vegan Banana Bread Sandwiches to go with the Mock Chicken Salad. I can't wait to see what my Vegan guest thinks. I have also made Vegan Shower Cakes and Wedding Cakes....I love a challenge, Wendy

I know I already shared my love for it with you on Facebook but I wanted to stop by here as well. I've been telling everyone I know. I even put some in tiny containers and handed them out to my other vegan friends to sample (and hopefully make for themselves).

Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for all of your hard work and efforts in developing recipes for us. It's very much appreciated.

Also, I think I came up with a really cool version of it that I'm going to be blogging about in the near future. I'll keep you posted.

Bryanna, thanks so much for sharing this recipe! We are working on losing weight so I've entered this recipe in the Sparkpeople recipe db (with a link and full credit to you, natch!) - but according to the recipe calculator, I find the recipe calories to be 34.3 per T. I'm wondering at the discrepancy (we also use only home made soy milk). This is still WAY lower than commercial vegan options - I can't wait to make it!

Carol, I just re-calculated the recipe on Living cookbook software, with my homemade soymilk and I have posted the newer calculation on the recipes. I calculated it using a whole bunch of different non dairy milks and they were all in this range. Lving Cookbook uses USDA nutrition files, so I don't know why the difference.

I just made this mayo and OMG it's good! I've not really cared much for homemade mayo's thus far, most of the time they're really too sweet or (made with silken) really 'tofu-y' tasting. This stuff rivals Vegenaise! Thank you!!!!

OH and ya know, I got the agar/cornstarch where it was as translucent as I thought it'd get - no white left - and my mayo was setting right out of the blender! It almost just wouldn't blend it was so set up! Nice!

Your Tuxedo cats are too much!!!They ARE THE smartest kitties under the sun!I have recently gone vegan (37 yrs as an ovo-lacto vegetarian), so I appreciate new recipes...Kisses to the kitties! Of course I have an alpha tuxedo---and she IS the boss.

So, I tried this today, and it turned out really, really great! It's wonderful to have such a tasty vegan mayo. I won't miss the "normal" type anymore. :-) Thanks! My only concern is that I won't be able to use it all up before it turns bad. Do you know how long it keeps in the fridge?

Fress-Alien, you can cut the recipe in half, if you like, but, because of the vinegar, it keeps well for 2 or weeks. If I think I should use it up, I use it in a salad dressing or dip. In my latest post:http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/01/lower-fat-purple-skordalia-greek-potato.html

I use it in place of oil (and some of the salt and lemon juice) in a Greek recipe.

Becky, you could try that, but it has to be a VERY fine powder. Otherwise you need to use 6 times as much flakes as powder (in volume)-- that 1 tablespoon of flakes, and soak them for 5 minutes or so before cooking.

Long time Hellman's fan here, who also likes commercially-made Vegannaise, except for the cost and the fact I can't find the reduced fat version. I just tried this recipe, and it is incredibly good! Not anything like the tofu based recipes I have tried, that...well...taste like tofu, not mayo.

I'll be trying this recipe this weekend, My favorite "tomato sandwich" is with crisp lettuce, carrot slivers, baby portobella slices, red onion slivers, Tomato slices, and cucumber slices. If I have peppers I add a few slices of those as well. Thank you! My low fat veganaise jar is looking sparse, and now I can fill it with something homemade!

I have been following Bryanna's spectacular,ambitious, and incredibly detailed recipes for years. The mayonnaise recipe is literally the best one I have found, and, silly me, I do keep looking. It's my go to when I want the results to match the claim. Bryanna, you have been generous in sharing your kitchen art.Thank you

Hi Bryanna,Looking for oil free mayo, came across your site. But unfortunately the ingredients are either expen sive and some unavailable. for e.g. cashews are expensive, we get the agar straws but i dont think powder is available.The recipes i came across are old, since you keep updating if you could email me would appreciate it,or if there are alternatives may be I could try it.Tkz

Ninette, I don't know where you live, but you can easily get agar powder online and it lasts a long time when you are only using 1/2 tsp. per batch. 1/4 cup of cashews and 1/2 tsp. of agar powder is not expensive, when you consider that the rest of the ingredients are extremely inexpensive (and water is free). You can use as little as 2 T. of oil in this version successfully, BTW, if you don't want to use cashews.

Thanks for this recipe. I am new to the vegan world and on a steep learning curve. I have tried a couple of other recipes for the mayo but yours is by far the best. Will be testing it out on my vegetarian mayo loving daughter next week.

Twitter / VeganFeaster

ShareThis

No reproduction of the following material without permission from the author. If you would like to share any of my recipes with others, or on a forum, or another site, let me know, and please credit me, my website and the book the recipe appeared in, if I note that in the recipe. You are welcome to link to this page from your site. Thanks!